If you want to kick off the winter blues and forget the recession for a while, what better way than to head for carnival time in Nice on the Cote d’Azur?
For two weeks from February 12th this popular French resort is a riot of colour, flowers and a surge of people as the lead in to Lent and Mardi Gras.
The city explodes into lively activity and colourful celebrations. The carnival processions, prestige soirees, rock and techno concerts, entertainment and fireworks attract around 1.2 million people each year to Nice. It is the biggest winter festival along the French Riviera.
The carnival is a very flowery celebration characterised by the Battle of The Flowers (Batailles de Fleurs). Twenty huge floats parade along the famous Promenade des Anglais overlooking the sea. Each one has a team of men and young women who throw up to 100,000 flowers to the watching locals and tourists before the event comes to a crescendo in the Place Massena. 90 per cent of the flowers used in the Carnival de Nice are grown locally and will include gladioli, tokyos, mimosa, gerberas, roses, carnations and daisies.
As night falls the floats give way to spectacular illuminations and a fantastic firework display on the last night.
The carnival’s history is intertwined with the history of Nice itself. The word carnival originally was “carne levare” meaning “away with the meat” and is based on the tradition of fasting or taking a limited diet during Lent. These huge celebrations and street parties with spectators wearing huge masks goes back centuries and the earliest recorded in Nice was in 1294.
According to the Catholic tradition of Lent fasting goes on for 40 days but before that the inhabitants of the city would enjoy their fill of rich, plentiful cuisine so typical of this region of France. It was an excuse to eat, drink and make merry before the austerity of 40 days without the usual food and pleasures.
The carnival was in danger of dying out when Napoleon banned such celebrations in 1797 but the modern Nice Carnival was revived in 1873.
Nice’s carnival has influenced similar events around the world. The theme for 2010 is “The Blue Planet” and taking part will be some of France’s most avant garde artists and designers.
The beautiful mild climate makes this a great time to visit Nice and explore the whole Cote d’Azur and its treasures of Antibes, Juans les Pins, St Tropez, and the delights of Monaco and Monte Carlo are only a short train ride away.
Graham Smith for Third Age.
Written by Editor.
